The Schrodinger effect
by IndieGothGirl
Summary: While visiting the planet Efeoth, Jamie McCrimmon finds himself an unwilling volunteer in a scientific experiment and discovers just what happens when the Doctor doesn't come back to save those he cares for. Warning: contains sense of rape and torture.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All non-OC characters and concepts belong to the brilliant minds who created Doctor Who and the BBC.

Author's note: This is the 3rd in a series of stories, therefore, I would recommend reading _The Highlander and the sea monster _and the _Curse of the Crying Boy _first.

* * *

**The Schrödinger effect**

**Chapter 1**

The TARDIS central column bobbed up and down while a strapping youth with thick-set brown umber hair stood with his back to the console on which the column was embedded. The youth was wearing a typical Jacobite-style black shirt with lace up collar and sleeves and a kilt both of which would have screamed 18th century Scotland were it not for the 20th century walking boots and 60s mod-style hair cut which the youth also happened to sport.

Opposite the youth (and therefore facing the console directly) stood a gentleman in a bow tie and a tweed jacket who would have looked no more than 30 had he been human.

Had anyone else been present in the room at the time it would have been evident that the two men in question were almost locked in a heated discussion.

'I'm telling ye, Doctor, there's nowhere else wi' heather like Scotland,' Jamie remarked.

'And I'm telling you there is,' the Doctor replied.

'Aye, well I believe it when I see it.'

'Right, you asked for this McCrimmon!' the Doctor cried as he raced over the TARDIS console and began punching in co-ordinates.

'Asked for what? Where are we awa' tae now?'

'The Purple Nebula so called because of its planets filled with heather, we're going to go to Efeoth, a lovely little planet on the edge of the galaxy. Inhabited by a primitive but friendly species and then I'll show you, McCrimmon!'

'Aye, well as I said afore, I believe it when I see it,' Jamie retorted, as the TARDIS began to take off.

Once outside the TARDIS doors the Doctor and Jamie found themselves in a small plaza. Around them were several buildings including a library, student's union and several buildings marked "schools."

'I wonder where we are?' the Doctor asked, half to himself.

'I dinnae ken but I cannae see any heather, Doctor,' Jamie remarked.

'Yes, alright,' the Doctor reported, huffily, 'but _where _are we.'

'Efeoth University,' Jamie supplied.

'How do you know that?'

'It says so on that sign,' the Highlander stated, matter-of-factly and pointing to a sign.

His features creased in confusion. 'What's a university?' he asked.

'A place of learning,' the Doctor replied. 'Students come here to broaden their minds with study. It would appear that the Efeothians have considerably evolved since the last time I was here. Oh well, come on, Jamie, you may learn something.'

'Aye, still nae heather though,' Jamie remarked, just loud enough for the Doctor to hear.

DWDWDW

In one of the university laboratories Professor Camus and his assistant, Xylophia, were clearly in heated debate.

'I'm telling you, Camus, it's simply too dangerous to test the Schrödinger Portal on subjects from outside of the university yet.'

'Nonsense, how will we ever learn the true effects of the machine if we don't test it on the general populace!' cried Camus, getting a little too excitable. 'We will use willing volunteers, of course,' he hastened to add.

'Please, Camus, be reasonable,' Xylophia pleaded, 'we can't test the machine on the public, even volunteers-'

'Why not?' Camus demanded, breaking Xylophia off, mid-sentence. 'We've tested it on student volunteers and it worked alright, didn't it?'

'Yes, Camus, but you know that all students in this facility have been trained to use the technology. A member of the general populace has not had such training; therefore, we have no idea what the impact upon their mental well-being will be.'

'And we won't know until we try!' Camus spat.

'No,' Xylophia shook her head, 'we can't. It's unethical for one thing.'

'Look, Xylophia, you're either with me or not. Think carefully, for you forget I could have you removed from this department before you could blink. You'd never work in this institution or any in the Purple Nebula again, understand?'

Xylophia sighed. She hated that she was about to go against every code of ethics she knew but she needed her job and the money it brought.

'Yes, I understand,' she muttered meekly, 'I won't undermine your authority again, Professor Camus.'

'Good, now let's get back to those readings.'

DWDWDW

The Doctor and Jamie were still wondering around the university campus and becoming aimlessly lost.

'Och, Doctor, where are we? We seem tae be going round and round in circles,' Jamie moaned.

Before the Doctor could reply, however, two gentlemen in white coats started down the corridor. They were entirely humanoid in appearance except for their purple skin.

'What ye look at that, Doctor!' Jamie cried in awe.

'Yes, it is fascinating, now come on before we are caught!'

They ducked back down the corridor and entered the first door them came to. Unfortunately, they did not realise it led into a lecture theatre. Both the students and the lecturer turned their head towards the door at the sound of it being opened.

'What do you mean by this?' the lecturer barked, 'turning up late for a lecture and disturbing your fellow students.'

The Doctor quickly realised that the lecturer thought that he and Jamie were two of the students. In an attempt to keep up the pretence he merely replied:

'Sorry, we got a little lost. It won't happen again, I promise.'

'Yes, well take your seats before we waste any more time,' the lecturer drawled.

The Doctor hastily led the bemused Jamie towards two chairs in the front row. When they were suitably seated the lecturer continued:

'As I was saying before we were interrupted after our own Professor Campus worked out the building blocks of quantum physics he began work on his latest experiment, the Schrödinger portal – named after the famous earth physicist, Erwin Schrödinger. In the earth year 1935, Schrödinger proposed a thought experiment which would come to be known as "Schrödinger's Cat." For his experiment, Schrödinger imagined a cat completely sealed in a box. Inside the box is a bottle of poisonous gas, connected to a hammer which, in turn, is connected to a Geiger counter attached to a piece of radioactive uranium. If the uranium decays, it will set of the Geiger counter which will set of the hammer, which will break the glass of the bottle containing the poisonous gas, thus killing the cat. Do we agree?'

Everyone in the room nodded, bar poor Jamie who was already completely confused. Having decided that this was most definitely one of those things that only 'clever wee chappies' like the Doctor could understand, his attention began to wander and he, absent-mindedly, began playing with the edges of his kilt, feeling the rough tartan through his fingertips.

The Doctor for his part was completely engaged with what the lecturer was saying. Secretly, he hoped that he would have the opportunity to have a chat with this Professor Camus before he and Jamie left Efeoth, he sounded a fascinating man.

The lecturer continued:

'However, before you open the sealed box it is impossible to know whether the cat is alive or dead thus the cat is neither alive nor dead, only by opening the box can we determine the true fate of the cat. This thought experiment was the start of the "Many World theories" which have fascinated quantum physicists from across the known galaxies. With his new Schrödinger Portal Professor Camus can allow the entire universe to see all possibilities, what would have happened if universes had evolved differently or, even, how the lives of individuals may have panned out differently if only a certain event had or hadn't happened.'

The Doctor sat bolt upright. Even the Time Lords had never had such power at their fingertips. Indeed, no one person or species _should _ever have such power at their disposal for the mental effects that it could have on those that tested such power would surely drive them to an emotional breakdown not to mention the temptations it could bring. Imagine being able to change the world so that Hitler never took power of Germany, tempting but what other consequences would it bring?

'Isn't this all a little dangerous?' the Doctor asked.

The lecturer looked a little puzzled at his question. Surely he knew that everyone who had tested the Schrödinger Portal had had sufficient mental training to be able to distinguish between the outcomes experienced in the Portal and reality.

'No,' the purple being smiled, 'all those who use the Portal have been trained to a strict mental regime to ensure that they can still distinguish between reality and what they witness in the Portal.'

'I see,' the Doctor replied.

Before he could say anymore, however, a bell sounded which signalled the end of the lecture.

'I'm afraid that's all we have time for today if you care to move along to your next lecture please.'

The students filed out with the Doctor and Jamie following them.

DWDWDW

Professor Tymas watched as the class filed out of the lecture hall paying particular attention to the two latecomers. There was something unusual about them. Obliviously they were humans; their skin tone had given that away as soon as they walked in the room. That in itself was not unusual, they had been human students at Efeoth University before but these two seemed somehow out of place, particularly the boy with his skirt! His companion, in his tweed jacket and bow-tie which made him look like an eccentric professor, looked more like a member of the staff rather than a student.

Still, Tymas thought, he had not seen these two around here before. It was suspicious that they would turn up out-of-the-blue and attend a lecture on the Schrödinger Portal. Could they be a part of one of the many protest groups that seemed to descend on the university these days, demanding that the experiments be shut down? _Either way I'd best report their presence on campus to Professor Camus._

DWDWDW

'What was that all aboot?' Jamie asked when they were out of earshot.

'What was what all about?' the Doctor enquired.

'Och, what that daft wee scientist was on aboot, that Schrö-what'sit?'

'The Schrödinger Portal?'

'Aye, that's it. What's it all aboot, Doctor.'

'Well, like the professor said, Jamie, it is a machine that has been developed to allow the user to see how things in their life may have played out differently if only a certain event had or hadn't happened.'

'Och, but surely that's dangerous, Doctor, I ken ye can dae some amazing things with the TARDIS but surely this Schrö-thingy is jist playing God an' that's ne'er a good thing!'

'Yes, Jamie, you're right which is why, now we are here, he must find this Professor Camus and put a stop to his experiments before it's too late!'

DWDWDW

At that particular moment Professor Camus was with Professor Tymas discussing the two mysterious students that made an appearance in Tymas lecture that morning.

'And you're sure that you have seen neither of them before?'

'Yes, quite certain, Professor Camus, I pride myself on knowing all my students but those two were complete strangers.'

'I see,' Camus reflected. _Outsiders, how did they get in here? No matter, this may be my chance to test the effects of the Schrödinger Portal on civilians._

'We cannot have unauthorised guests roaming around the university as they please, Tymas, call Security; Captain Minsk can deal with them!'

DWDWDW

Captain Minsk was a formidable sight. A heavy set fellow with perhaps (as some in the university said rather unkindly) more muscles than brains. His face was a mess of scars and cuts, most noticeably of which was a large scar running across his left eye down to his lip. He also had a sizeable chunk of his right ear missing, which meant he sometimes had to turn his head to the left to hear what people were saying to him.

His reputation amongst the staff and students of Efeoth was almost as fearsome as his appearance. He had served in Efeothian army during the great purges of the Purple Nebula, when an entire fleet of Sontarans had arrived in the galaxy and (upon seeing it's as a vital tactical position in their own going war with the Rutans) had attempted to wipe out the Efeothians and their neighbours, where it was said he had had killed whole battalions of Sontarans (some claimed single-handily) and was one of the few to survive the Sontarans destruction of Efeothia (the Efeothian capital) which had killed millions including Captain Minsk's own wife and children. Some even claimed that he had vowed revenge upon the Sontaran race for the deaths of his family.

After the war, like many others who had witnessed the atrocities caused by the Sontarans, Captain Minsk struggled to settle down into civilian life and drifted between jobs sometimes working for only weeks at a time before a chance encounter with Camus (an old school friend and now a professor) saw him been recommended for the post of head of security at the newly established Efeoth University. Once in the role Minsk became dedicated to his job throwing all of his passion into his work, there was nothing that went unnoticed on his watch. He had once coolly, some would say coldly, managed to have a whole class of students excluded for failing to produce the relevant ID when questioned.

Nevertheless, as he sat at his desk typing up the annual security report, his mind was troubled. There had been a spate of hassle recently with activists protesting outside the university against, what they claimed to be, unethical experiments carried out on students by Camus when testing the limitations and abilities of his Schrödinger Portal. The politicians in Efeothia were keen to see the results of the tests and were at pains to ensure that nothing should stop the experiments from being carried out, which meant extra pressure on Minsk and his team to deal with the activists and protesters.

In his mind, Captain Minsk was running through some of these appropriate ways to deal with them when he heard the intercom buzz. He pressed a button and Professor Tymus face appeared on the screen.

'Yes, professor,' he barked, 'what is it?'

'I have reason to believe that I have had a couple of the protesters invade one of my lectures, captain,' Tymus replied. 'Camus is aware of the situation.'

_Not again!_

'Do you have a description of the two perpetrators professor?'

'Yes, they were both wearing very distinctive clothing,' Tymus supplied and proceeded to give Captain Minsk an accurate description of both the Doctor and Jamie. 'I would appreciate it, captain, if you could send a team of men to deal with these two intruders before Camus returns from the lab.'

'I shall handle this personally, professor, and you can be sure that these two intruders will be gone with the hour and that Camus will find everything ship shape when he returns from his experiments,' Minsk was quick to reassure him.

'Thank you, captain,' said Tymus as his face disappeared from the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi All, hope you enjoy this new chapter. I apologise in advance if its a bit rubbish I did write it in only half an hour lol

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The Doctor and Jamie, meanwhile, were still aimlessly wondering the corridors of Efeoth University, trying to find a way out so that the Doctor could prove his claim to Jamie.

After passing the same bench for the third time, Jamie suddenly piped up: 'Doctor, I think we're lost.'

'Nonsense,' the Doctor replied, 'I never get lost, Jamie!'

Oh aye,' Jamie remarked, raising an eyebrow in scepticism, 'so why is the third time we've past yon bench then?'

The Doctor merely let out a 'humph' at his friend's remark and carried on down the corridor. Jamie sighed and followed his friend like a dog following its master.

After passing through several corridors (which Jamie was sure he had seen before) the young Scot began to get the distinct feeling that they were being followed. The Doctor was a little way ahead examining something that Jamie couldn't make out with the sonic screwdriver.

'Doctor!' Jamie hissed.

'Umm,' the Doctor said, not really paying much attention to his companion.

'I think we're being followed!' the young highlander hissed.

'Oh, Jamie not now can't you see I'm busy here,' the Doctor cried, ridiculously.

Jamie stood perplexed it wasn't often that the Doctor acted so childishly to his companion but when he did it always seemed to raise the young Scot's dander.

'Hey, Doctor, did ye no' hear me? I said I think we're being followed.'

'Yes, I heard you, Jamie, but I cannot hear anyone following us, now be a good chap and keep quiet, will you?

Jamie slightly huffed to himself, as the Doctor turned his attention back to the item he was examining, but no matter what the Scot couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that he and the Time Lord were being followed by someone or something…

DWDWDW

When Tymus had first made him aware of the presence of intruders on the campus Captain Minsk had initially thought of calling his guards together to help him round them up but he had quickly dismissed the idea, there were; after all, only two of them, therefore, no need to call up every member of security to carry out a search. No, Minsk decided, he would deal with these intruders himself and would have them gone before anyone else in security even knew they had been any intruders in the first place. Grabbing his government issued stun gun he began his task of finding the two intruders.

Currently, Minsk was following the Doctor and Jamie down the corridors of Efeoth University, putting a safe enough distance between himself and the intruders so as not be noticed by them. Observing their behaviour, the first thing Minsk noticed was that they appeared to be lost. The slightly older man with the tweed jacket seemed to be leading them, but the way he looked about him suggested to Minsk that he did not know where he was going.

Suddenly he heard the other (the boy with the skirt) say something. The boy's accent was unusual – a sort of strange lilting brogue which seemed to produce a rolling 'r' sound – but Minsk was able to make out what the boy was saying and it confirmed what he had suspected – that the two intruders were most definitely lost, however, they were soon off again and Minsk continued to follow them as close as he dare without being detected.

Suddenly, the older man in the tweed jacket stopped and seemed to be examining something on the wall in front of him. Minsk was too far away to see what the object was but he did see the man pull out a strange instrument and use it to examine the object. The instrument buzzed and flashed and the man in the jacket seemed to be so absorbed with it that Minsk wondered if this might be his chance to catch them.

Unfortunately, Minsk realised the younger man - the boy - was much more alert and seemed to casting about him as if he were being followed. With a sinking feeling Minsk realised that the boy was somehow aware of his presence and seemed to be warning his friend, who was too much engrossed in his examination to pay the skirted boy much heed.

_Perhaps this is my chance_, Minsk thought, _if I could get the boy in the skirt out of the picture than I could sneak up on the man in jacket unawares, but how to get the boy out of the way?_

When Minsk broke from his retrieve, he could not believe his luck, the skirted boy was heading back down the corridor towards his hiding place.

DWDWDW

Despite his best efforts to warn him, it appeared that the Doctor was unwilling to show any more concern for Jamie's fears of being followed than he would have if the young Scot told him that the sky was blue. Frustrated, Jamie stamped his feet which seemed to attract the Doctor's attention.

'If you really must insist on making such a noise, Jamie, could you please do it somewhere else,' the Doctor cried, somewhat irate.

Annoyed with his friend's irritable attitude, Jamie began to cast about for something to keep him occupied while the Doctor carried out his examinations. He supposed that he could go for a little wander to _see if I can find something of interest in this university place_, and be back before the Doctor had probably realised he had gone.

He set off down the corridor, unaware of Captain Minsk waiting around the corner ready to spring out upon him.

DWDWDW

Captain Minsk licked his lips with anticipation; the boy in the skirt was so close that he could almost feel his breath upon his cheek. Just a little further, he told himself, let the boy get in front of you and then you can spring out and surprise him!

The boy passed by, without noticing the captain hiding around the corner, and came to a sort of fork in the corridor where several corridors lead off the main one. The boy seemed to cast about as if deciding on which route to take.

Seeing the boy momentarily distracted Minsk realised his chance to catch the lad and lunged forward, catching the young Scot off guard.

Jamie was unaware of anything until he felt himself being pinned to the floor by someone. He desperately tried to reach for his dirk but the person who held him down was a lot heavier and stronger than he was. Memories of being pinned down like this while he was tortured and violated came flooding back into Jamie's mind. The young Scot panicked; he couldn't let that happen again. Seeing no alternative, Jamie resorted to his instincts and began to scratch and kick out at the man who held him down.

DWDWDW

Minsk tried to hold Jamie down but the Scot fought like a half demented wildcat, kicking, scratching and biting the captain in an attempt to free himself. Momentarily, the boy managed to break free and yelled out:

Doctor, help some great brute's got me!'

Unfortunately for Jamie, the Doctor was too far away to hear him. Unable to reach his dirk or call for help Jamie so no alternative; he clamped his jaws around Minsk's arm and bit down as hard his could. The captain cried out in pain and instinctively released Jamie from his grasp.

Before the captain had time to recover Jamie darted back down the corridor towards the Doctor.

DWDWDW

The object the Doctor was examining had been a locked door with a computerised keypad. The Doctor stood back in frustration; he had been trying to find the access code for the keypad (and thus unlock the door) but seemed to be having no success. The door was not a deadlock seal yet the sonic screwdriver could not open it. Clearly, the Efeothians had developed a technology of their own to block the effects of sonic equipment.

The Doctor sighed in dismay. He had hoped that in unlocking the door that it would have provided him and Jamie with a way out of the corridor that they were lost in. _Oh well, looks like we'll have to retrace our steps_.

He was just about to turn round and make his way back down the corridor when the felt someone crash into the back of him and a Scottish voice say:

'Run, Doctor!'

The Doctor turned round to face his companion.

'Jamie,' he cried, 'what is the meaning of th-'

The Doctor, however, never got chance to finish his sentence as, at the moment, Captain Minsk was upon them with his stun gun raised.

Before either the Doctor or Jamie could utter a word, Minsk fired the gun and watched as they both fell unconscious to the ground.

Minsk picked up the fallen bodies of Jamie and the Doctor with ease and was about to carry them off towards the exit when he heard a voice behind him:

'Captain Minsk, what are you doing?'

There was no mistaking the velvety tune in the voice: it was Professor Camus. Minsk hesitated, confused slightly. Hadn't the professor ordered him to get rid of the intruders? Surely he could see nothing wrong with what he was doing?

'I was just getting rid of the intruders, sir, like you asked,' he replied with certainty.

'Intruders?' Camus questioned.

Behind him Tymus said; 'you remember me telling you about the two protesters who appeared in my lecture, Camus, you told me to have Captain Minsk deal with them.'

'My dear Tymus, I said nothing of having them removed from the campus,' was Camus' only reply.

'But, Camus, what was can with do with them? They are no good to us, surely?'

'if we have Captain Minsk remove them, they will merely re-join their fellow protesters and come up with some other way to get back us and cause another nuisance to the university,' Camus stated.

'Then what do we do with them?' Tymus protested.

'The Schrödinger Portal needs to be tested on someone outside the university – someone who hasn't had the mental training of the students here – in order for us to make it marketable to the politicians in Efeothia,' Camus affirmed.

'Yes, of course,' replied Tymus, still not seeing where his senior colleague was going with this.

'Well, since these protesters are so sure that the experiment is dangerous perhaps it is time we let them see for themselves whether it is or isn't dangerous.'

'You mean-'

'Yes, Tymus, we test the portal on these two,' Camus confirmed. He turned to Minsk and ordered: 'Captain Minsk, take these two to my laboratory.'

'Right away, Professor Camus.'

With that Minsk picked up the Doctor and Jamie each arm and carried them as if they were no more than a pair of ragdolls.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Some of the dialogue and actions in this chapter has been taken from the final episode of the Doctor Who episode the _War Games _and belongs to the BBC.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

With the still unconscious forms of the Doctor and Jamie laid flat on the laboratory examining tables, Camus began to inspect them. He picked up a portable device and began scanning it over their still forms, the Doctor first.

'Hum…interesting,' he muttered to himself.

'What is, professor?' Xylophia asked, curiously.

'This man has two hearts and symbiotic nuclei, his brain patterns revel a being of great intelligence. There was only ever one species with such genetic makeup…the Time Lords.'

'But surely this man cannot be a Time Lord,' Xylophia protested. 'Everyone knows the Time Lords were wiped out in the great Time War!'

'Perhaps,' Camus pondered before turning his attentions to Jamie.

'What about the boy, Camus?'

'He is human,' Camus stated. 'The scanner detects a strong psychosomatic ability which is just being to emerge but, other than that, he is an average human being. His brain patterns would suggest that he comes from a much more primitive period of Earth history.'

'How can a primitive human from earth history be here in our time?' Xylophia asked, perplexed.

'The Time Lord brought him perhaps,' Camus suggested.

'I don't know much about the Time Lords, Professor,' Xylophia admitted. 'Did they often have human traveling companions?'

'No, they were a species who kept to themselves but there was one I recall…the Doctor I believe he was known as, who was particularly fond of travelling with a young human or two. If I remember rightly it was claimed the Doctor was the only Gallifreyan survivor of the Time War.'

'Do you think this is the Doctor?'

'Whoever he is will be of no consequence to us, Xylophia, if he _is _a Time Lord than the effects of the Schrödinger Portal will not be felt by him. The human, however, is a different matter. We could test the Schrödinger Portal on him.'

'Is that wise, Professor?'

'Either way it will prove to be an most interesting experiment watching this primitive react to his environment without any comprehension of how the machine works. We couldn't have asked for a better subject, Xylophia! Revive the boy and prepare him for testing.'

'And the Time Lord?'

'Leave him,' Camus answered, 'the last thing we want is him waking up and interfering with the experiment in any way.'

'Yes, Professor,' Xylophia sighed. It felt so wrong to her to carry out such an experiment on this innocent boy.

DWDWDW

Jamie stirred, dazed and confused, he wasn't sure where he was but he was sure it wasn't the same place he had been in just moments before.

He stood up and the first thing he noticed was that his clothes had changed. Gone was the 20th century nylon shirt he was wearing and, in its place, was his plaid and a cotton shirt, as was common in his time. Even his shoes had changed! The hard-nailed boots which he was so fond of had been replaced with the more traditional ghillies. (Ghillies are thick, black shoes with no tongue or laces, traditionally worn by Scottish Highlanders. The laces are wrapped around and tied above the wearer's ankles so that the shoes do not get pulled off in mud. The shoes lack tongues so the wearer's feet can dry more quickly in typically damp Scottish weather). By his side he felt a long claymore.

Taking stock in his surroundings, the lavender-scented heather and open moorland, made it clear in Jamie's mind that he was back in Scotland. The moorland seemed familiar to him and a look of horror swept his features as he realised, with a sickening pit in his stomach, that he was back at Culloden.

_What am I daeing here? Last I remember I was wi' the Doctor in that university place an' those strange purple creatures were examining us. How'd I end oot back in mah own time?_

However, before he could give the conundrum any more thought there was the sound of musket fire and a shot rang out across the moor.

Instinctively, Jamie hit the ground to avoid being injured by the bullet. As soon as the danger was over he looked up to see who the culprit was.

On a small rise a few metres away stood a young man in a black tricorne hat, white gaiters, and a waistcoat but it was the long, scarlet overcoat that marked him out as an English solider to Jamie. In his hands the Redcoat carried a musket. It was clear it was he who had shot at Jamie.

The young Scot was enraged. How dare this stupid Sassenach take a shot at him?

'Murder a McCrimmon, will ye?' he cried, incensed, 'well I'll show you. _Craig a tuire_!' He yelled the McLaren's Gaelic battle cry as he rose his claymore up and over his head, swinging it round his head as though it was some kind of baton.

Frightened by the formidable sight of the young Scot in full Highland dress charging towards him, clearly intent on only one thing the Redcoat fled as fast as he could across the moors with Jamie hot on his heels, claymore still swinging above his head and yelling like the devil possessed.

They ran for half a mile, like cat and mouse, the Redcoat stumbling over land which was unknown to him unlike the nimble-footed young Highlander who chased after him; who knew every rock, bog pit and patch of heather from here to Inverness

Suddenly, the Redcoat stumbled and fell. Instantly, Jamie was upon him, their forms becoming a tangle of scarlet and tartan as they rolled over and over in the bracken.

'Shot me doon like a dirty dog, would ye?' Jamie spat in the Redcoat's face.

'Please,' the frightened Englishman cried, 'I was only doing what the Duke asked me to. Please don't kill me, sir, I don't want to die.'

'Aye, well ye should've thought o' that afore ye joined the English Army,' the Scot replied, showing no mercy for his captive.

Raising his claymore over his head with both hands Jamie brought it down and straight into the soft underbelly of his captive. The body jerked and then lay still.

One less daft Sassenach to deal with Jamie thought to himself, rather callously.

DWDWDW

The men of the 13th foot, the Pulteney regiment (all regiments in 1700s were named after their colonels thus the Pulteney regiment took their name from their colonel, Harry Pulteney) were tired and weary. Under orders from the Duke of Cumberland himself that: "A captain and 50 foot soldiers were to march directly and visit all the cottages in the neighbourhood of the field of battle, and to search for rebels" they had being combing Drummossie Moor and the surrounding area for the reminder of the Jacobite army who had fled from the battle as their rebel comrades were slain by Cumberland and his men.

The Pulteney regiment were tired and bone wary. Many of them cast their minds back to earlier that day when they and their fellows had managed to slay over 1,500 Highlanders and, thus, brought the campaign of the Jacobite rebels to an end within an hour of the battle beginning, since then they had been searching the moor for the fleeing Highlanders. Others cast their memory back to the previous evening when, after setting up camp in the village of Nairn, Cumberland had issued two gallons of brandy to each regiment by way of celebrating his 25th birthday.

Now they trudged over the peat-bog moor. They had yet to find any of the fleeing rebels indeed; it seemed to them that the Highlanders had literally disappeared into the mist and heather. Suddenly, ahead, they spotted the unmistakable tartan of a Highlander. A young Jacobite stood up and wiped his blood stained hands on his plaid. It was clear to the English soldiers that the Scot had not yet seen them. Now was their chance to capture him before he escaped across the moorland. They charged forward.

Jamie stared down at his hands which were stained red with blood. His claymore, which still protruded from the body of the slain Redcoat, was also blood stained. Completely unaware that he had been spotted by Pulteney's regiment he stood up and wiped his blood stained hands on his plaid. In the next moment he found himself surrounded by a regiment of Recoats; their muskets raised and pointed directly at him.

DWDWDW

The Redcoats lowered their muskets in shock at the sight that lay before them. Beneath the Highlander lay the battered and bloodied corpse of one of their own men.

'What have you done?' one of the men yelled.

Jamie looked down at the body and then back up at the surrounding Redcoats. 'Now look,' he began, 'it was in self-defence. He shot at me wi' his musket first I was jist defending mysel'!'

'A likely story,' the men spat. 'You rebels are all the same; murderous scumbags!'

'I'm telling ye it's the truth!' Jamie cried. 'He shot at me first. As for calling me a murderous scumbag, the hands of all ye Redcoats are no' exactly clean. Ye've killed plenty of my kin the day!'

'Enough!' the man yelled. 'What shall we do with this savage murderer, lads?'

There were cries of 'string him up' and 'shoot him.' At that moment William, the Duke of Cumberland himself, came trotting over. He was a plumb young man who was clearly heading towards obesity. He was the youngest son of the Hanoverian king, George II, and a shrewd military man whose slaying of the Jacobite armies in such a short period of time would earn him the nickname "the Butcher" amongst the Highlanders. Like his father he was a German and believed in disciplined soldiers. He had already forbidden gambling, flogged men for selling their stockings and threatened to hang them if they sold their ration of bread. He had also banned women from the company tents and ordered sentries to stand rather than sit at their post. Nevertheless the regiments considered him to be a brave young man with occasional, genuine sympathy for his privates. This compassion would earn him the nickname "Sweet William" amongst his comrades.

The Duke peered down at the scene before him with piercing blue eyes, a look of distain upon his features for the young Highlander who stared back at him.

'What is going on here?' the Duke demanded.

Instantly, the regiment colonel, Pulteney, rushed to his feet. He was the youngest son of Colonel William Pulteney and, as well as being English solider, was also a Member of Parliament. (At the time of Culloden he was the MP for Kingston-Upon-Hull).

'Sir,' he said, saluting the Duke. 'My men caught this Highlander not moments ago, having just slain one of our soldiers.

'Ah told ye he attacked me first. Ah was jist defending mysen!' Jamie piped up.

'Quiet you,' Pulteney hissed, before turning back to the Duke.

We are ready to drag him off to the gallows at your command, sir,' he informed Cumberland.

The Duke looked Jamie up and down with a look distain of his face. It was clear the Highlander was a young lad, no older than 18 at the most, probably enticed into battle by friends whom had filled his head full of the excitement of war.

'No,' Cumberland replied, shaking his head. 'He will not hang,' he proclaimed.

The 13th regiment stared in shock. Surely their leader did not mean for this rebel to go punished for the atrocity he had committed?

'But sir,' Pulteney began to protest but was cut off by the Duke.

'Hanging clearly has no effect on these murderous rebels,' Cumberland proclaimed. 'A message will be sent out to the rebels on this very day, that the English people will no longer tolerate their barbaric ways. From this day we will endeavour to make the Scottish Highlands a civilised place, not only for ourselves but for our allies North of the Border who for too long have lived in fear of this Highland scourge!'

He turned to Pulteney and whispered to him so that the others could not hear: 'I want you and your men to take this boy to Inverness and hand him over to Smythe and his guards in Inverness gaol. You are to tell them everything that has occurred here and make it clear that on no authority are they to kill or deport the boy.'

'If you don't mind me asking, what do you want them to do with him, sir?'

'I want them to humiliate and shame him. I don't care how I just want them to break his spirit and crush his will. We'll see how he feels about slaying British soldiers after that!'


End file.
